The Swedish home furnishings superstore breaks ground on its Grand Prairie store this morning at 10:30 a.m. It's the biggest new retail project in the southwest Dallas suburb since Grand Prairie Premium Outlet opened in 2012.

The 290,000-square-foot Ikea store will employ 300 people when it opens in fall 2017. Ikea first announced its plans for a second store in the market last year. Its first store in North Texas opened in Frisco in 2005.

It's clear from attending the groundbreaking that GP is on the cusp of a major development cycle on the south end of the Turnpike at I-20, all of the land surrounding IKEA is vacant and all of it is now in play, according to the Mayor. On the other side of 161 near the Police station is the Epic, which is well underway and should also open next year.

Much like Frisco developed after IKEA went in there, 1 million sf of retail plus hotels and recreational activity will be a great driver and welcome sight for those that live in SW Dallas county, not real happy about all the parking lot space and wish more of it were geared towards a better-mixed use type development but will have to see what else pops up.

I was surprised to see that Ikea GP already has a triple facing sign in there yellow font/blue background up already. It's at PGBT and 30. Hopefully no one is mislead into thinking it's open already and finds a half finished shell of a structure instead.

The DBJ (and WFAA/8) are saying the Grand Prairie store will open December 13.

Besides this store and Frisco (which has been around since 2005 already), there are locations in Houston and Round Rock, plus 2 upcoming: Live Oak (San Antonio area) in summer 2019, and the one in Fort Worth (summer 2019 also).

The large scale entertainment component of Arlington/Grand Prairie is impressive and growing. I'm still waiting for the Lower Midcities to wake up and smell the roses with a good commuter train to downtowns Fort Worth and Dallas, and DFW airport.

I didn't see any formal announcement but the Epic Towne Crossing is fully under way. Lot of equipment and dirt moving on both sides of the tollway. Also appears to be another parcel underway just south of Ikea. The store opens in a few weeks.

Epic Waters sounds pretty cool - an indoor water park as a rec center, but it's pricing is kind of high-$19 for GP residents and $29 for non-residents. A nice local attraction but at that price is competing against legit water parks, and I'm not sure it stacks up. We'll see.

Some of the new stuff opening up around IKEA. Nothing really shocking here, lots of the usual suspects.

Chick-fil-A, El Pollo Loco, Starbucks and Chipotle will open on pad sites around Walmart on State Highway 161 and Pioneer Parkway. A Courtyard by Marriott, Smoothie King, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches and Jason’s Deli are also planned on the SH 161 corridor between Arkansas and Mayfield.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Olive Garden, Ross, Michaels, Ulta, Burlington, Conn’s, Petco, Burkes and Home Goods are expected to open in Epic West on the west side of SH 161 between Warrior and Mayfield.

Hooters will open a new 7,500-square-foot restaurant on the north side of I-20 just west of Great Southwest Parkway in the old Johnny Carino’s building.

Mr. Crab’s Chinese restaurant will open on Bardin Road behind Walmart on I-20.

T-Mobile will open a store on the west side Carrier Parkway just north of Conover.